Thanks For The Memories. Yeah; Right.

We are richer for our memories, as well as being done in by our memories.

Memories of times past that bring back wonderful trips to Grandma's house, holidays, family events; these are richer.

Memories that we'd just as soon forget ... well, we try to put them out of our minds, unless we decide to use them as definite markers to block us from doing things that might be fun.

I have a friend who would be a good chaplain on a cruise. It's free and all you have to do is fulfill certain duties during the seven or ten days you are onboard. Couldn't be nicer and the ships are stabilized so, for the most part, it's like being in a hotel lobby.

But, no; he either served on a ship in the Pacific or he watched too many documentaries of the naval war against Japan. He is convinced the ships bounce around like destroyer escorts and won't set foot on one. No matter what you say, he responds with, "I've seen what it's like on the water; it's rough out there."

I've a cousin who won't go on a cruise ship because she was (many, many decades ago) in a canoe that tipped over. That did it for her; anything in the water could end up like the Poseidon Adventure and don't tell her othewise.

Sometimes I wonder how many of us get trapped by our bad memories, no matter how unconnected they may be to the matter at hand. Keep in mind that when it's over, it's over. Don't miss the fun because something happened when dinosaurs walked the earth, so to speak.